Honing machine



May 11, 1943. e. CROMPTON, JR 2,313,830

HONING MACHINE I Filed July 19, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR y 1943- G. CROMPTON, JR

mums MACHINE Filed July 19, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmi ll uu INVENTOR May 11, 1943.. G. CROMPTON, JR

HONING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 6 Shgts-Sheet 4 G. CROMPTON, 'JR

HONING MACHINE Filed July 19; 1938 May 11,1943.

E. Mm

May 11, 1943, G. CROMPTON, JR

HONING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lNVENTuR Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE HONING mom George Crompton, Jr., Worcester, Mass, assignor to Norton Company,.Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 19, 1938, Serial No. 219,988

Claims.

The invention relates to honing machines.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatic honing machine. Another object of the invention is to achiev uniformity in the finishing of cylinder bores of automobile cylinder the type indicated which may be incorporated in a various types and sizes of machine hones. Another object of the invention is to provide a honing tool with a simple electrically actuated control for expansion and contraction. Another object of the invention is to provide honing tools and controls therefor which may be applied to existing machine tool hones to make them automatic or semi-automatic in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a honing tool which may be readily used in honing machines now existing and the expansion and contraction of which can be readily controlled at a distance while the machine is in operation. An-

other object of the invention is to provide a commany possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a honing machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the upper part of the honing machine, partly in vertical section, showing the driving mechanism for the spindles;

Figure 3 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, of the machine, further illustrating the spindle driving mechanism, the section being taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

pact honing tool with electric actuation for expansion and contraction in the tool itself. Another object of the invention is to provide a honing tool which can be contracted by directing electric current to it in one direction and which can be expanded by directing electric current to it in the opposite direction. Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic gauging instrumentality measuring the bore of a work piece which is being honed. Another object of the invention is to provide gauging apparatus for several bores of a work piece being simultaneously honed by a multi-spindle honing machine so organized that only when all the gauges enter the bore will the honing tools be withdrawn from the work piece. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly conssts in th features of construction. combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated by the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings showing two of Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, on an enlarged scale, looking at the left-hand side of the machine behind the pump, illustrating certain oi the controlling devices for the hydraulic reciprocating head actuating means;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical axial sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, showing the honing tool, the work piece 'and the gauge mechanism;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 11 of Figure 6, showing the switches;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, illustrating the control for stopping the head in its upper position;

Figure 9 is'an enlarged fragmentary axial sectional view through a pair of collector rings and insulator therefor mounted on the several spindles of the honing tools to lead electric current to the tools Figure 10 is a radial sectional view showing the 1 motor in a honing tool, the section being taken on the line ill-l0 of Figure 6;

Figure 11 is a wiring diagram:

Figur 12 is a vertical axial sectional view of the driving portion of a honing tool according to another embodiment of the invention.

The invention is illustrated applied to a honing machine of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,783,019 of Albert M, Johnson. The invention so far as it resides in the honing tool itself is shown embodied in a honing tool Of the general type illustrated by United States Letters Patent No. 1,912,025 to Frederick G. Wacker and Herman W. Zimmerman. I shall hereinafter refer to these patents respectively as the Johnson patent and the Wacker patent.

As in the case of the Johnson patent, and referring now to Figure 1, the machine comprises a base I upon which is fixed an upright-column 2 frontwardly provided with a pair of vertical slideways 3. A work supportingtable 4 having slidably adjustable guiding supports on the ways 3 is further supported from the base I by means of adjustable elevating screw standards 6. A piece of work is shown supported on the table comprising in the present instance a four cylinder internal combustion motor block 6 suitably clamped I upon an adapter block 1 which rests upon the table 4.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, mounted upon the upper end of the column 2 is a main housing 8 having a pair of upright auxiliary housings 8 and l 8 extending frontwardly therefrom in spaced relation, the lower ends of which are positioned above the work supported on the table 4. The auxiliary housings 8 and I6 each support a vertically positioned spindle driving shaft H. The spindle shafts and their associated parts being similarly constructed will be described as to one only and similar reference numerals applied to both. The shaft is preferably provided with a thrust collar l2 which engages an antifriction bearing I 3 secured to the upper end of a guide sleeve l4. The sleeve l4 extends through the lower end of the auxiliar housing 9 and is provided with spaced bearings l5 and I6 therein.

Referring to the upper part of Figure 2, the upper end of the spindle driving shaft II is splined and extends through the upper wall of the auxiliary housing 9. Within the housing 9 and in longitudinally slidable relation to the splined portion of the shaft ii there is mounted on the shaft a sleeve I 'i which is keyed to the shaft. The sleeve I! is supported in ball bearings 18 and I9 which are supported in a portion 9, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Secured to the upper end of the sleeve I1 and located in the auxiliary housing 9 is a spur gear 20 which meshes with a spur gear 2| mounted on a stub shaft 22 which is journalled in ball bearings 23 and 24 mounted in a bearing hub 25 that is integrally connected to the auxiliary housing 9. Fastened to the lower end of the stub shaft 22 is 'a bevel gear 26. Comparing now Figures 2 and 3, and remembering that there are two bevel gears 26, they mesh with bevel gears 21 fastened to a cross shaft 28 in the housing 8. As indicated in Figures 2 and 3, fastened to one end of the cross shaft 28 is a gear 32 which meshes with a gear 33 fastened to a shaft 34 which is journalled in the housing 8. The gear 33 is driven by a pinion gear 36 which is secured to a shaft 31 which can be clutched to an armature shaft 38 of a motor 39 which is mounted on a suitable bracket 46 supported upon the wall of the housing 8. The clutch to couple the shaft 3'! to the shaft 38 is generally indicated by the numeral 4| and is described more in detail in the Johnson patent. The mechanism may include a brake 42 the details of which will not herein be described as reference may be had to the Johnson patent; sufllce it to say that a crank 48 controls both the brake and the clutch and when the crank is in its extreme right-hand position (Figure 3) or moved in the clockwise direction in plan view, the clutch 4| is engaged and the brake 42 is released, while movement to the left or in a counterclockwise direction releases the clutch and applies the brake. By means of the foregoing mechanism, the motor 39 drives both spindle shafts II, and the clutch and brake means described in the Johnson patent are provided to stop and start the shafts I I. Also it will be noted these shafts H may move up and down without in any way interfering with the rotaof the housing tive driving mechanism on account of the provision of the splined connection between shafts II and sleeves i1.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, positioned below the lower ends of the auxiliary housings 3 and I8 and fastened to the sleeves i4 is a reciprocatory head 63. Referring now to Figure 4, the head 63 is hollow and the sleeves H which constitute reciprocatory guideways are secured to the upper wall of the head 63, each of the sleeves having an annular flange 64 positioned in annular pockets provided in the upper wall of the head and secured thereto as by bolts. The spindle driving shafts ii extend into the ends of the head 63, being supported at their lower ends in ball bearings 65 secured in the lower ends of the sleeves l4.

Still referring to Figure 4, fastened to the lower ends of the driving shafts Ii are driving gears 66. These gears 68 mesh with gears 61 fastened to short shafts 68 Journalled in the head-63. Each shaft 68 has likewise fastened to it a gear 69 which meshes with gears I8 and II respectively secured to spindle supporting socket members 12, 13, the latter being carried in spaced ball bearings 14 mounted in bearing bosses 15 formed in the lower wall of the head 63. Thus each shaft ll drives a pair of spindle supporting socket members l2, 13 which are iournalled in the head 63 and the sockets i2 and 13 are rotated in the same angular direction and at the same velocity, the gears 16 and H not meshing with each other but both meshing with the driving pinion 68 which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 1, there are four socket members 12, 13 and they are located in pairs, each of sockets i2being located the same distance from adjacent socket 13, although the space between sockets 12 isnot the same as the space between sockets 12 and 13. The spacing shown, however, is the same as that of the cylinder bores in the typical automobile cylinder block 6, and by providing different heads 63, any other spacing may be provided for. Furthermore, the machine tool may be widened by adding additional auxiliary housings like the housings 9 and I8 and repeating the mechanism therein contained to drive any number of spindle sockets i2, i3 desired, thus if desired providing a machine of this type for the honing of six cylinder blocks and eight straightin-line cylinder blocks.

Reciprocatory movement of the head 63 is accomplished by means of an hydraulically actuated piston, not shown, located in a cylinder 11 which, as shown in Figure 1, is fastened to the housing 8 and located between the auxiliary housings 9 and it). As shown in Figure l, a piston rod 18 extends from the lower end of the cylinder l1 and is attached to the head 63. This pis ton rod 18 may extend upwardly beyond the cylinder 11 to cause the same pressure to be exerted to move the head 63 up and down. As more fully described in the Johnson patent, a balancing cylinder 19 may be provided to compensate for the weight of the head 63 and all associated parts which move vertically.

The cylinder 71 is supported on the housing 8 by brackets 86 and 8| which are braced by means of tension rods 82 and 83. The upper and lower ends of the cylinder 11 are provided with ports 84 and 85 opening through the brackets 88 and 8| into communication with the interior of the cylinder. Referring now to Figure 5, there is provided a four-way controlling or reversing valve 86 having ports connected to pipes 81 engaging a gear 82a mounted on the pump shaft.

Referring again to-Figure 5, the control valve 88 operates to direct pressure fluid alternately into the pipes 81 and 88 to send pressure fluid to the opposite ends of the cylinder 11 to reciprocate the head 88. At any given time one of pipes 81 and 88 contains fluid under pressure while the other one is the return pipe for the return of the fluid from the no pressure end of the cylinder. The valve 88 contains a piston, not

The machine so far described is the machine of the Johnson patent and except in combination with the other features hereinafter "explained, is not my invention. In fact. any other suitable honing machine tool may be substituted for the shown, the position of which is determined by pilot valve 88 having pipe connections 84 and 88 with opposite ends of the four-way controlling and reversing valve 88. The pilot valve 88 likewise has pressure and exhaust pipe, connections 88 and 81 with the pump 8|. The pilot valve 88 includes a longitudinally moving" piston controlthe ends of the reversing valve 88, and this piston is controlled by a piston rod .88. I do not herein illustrate or describe the details of the pistons and ports in valves 88 and 88, the same having not been described in the Johnson patent either, since pilot and reversing valve constructions are now well known to those skilledin this art and any suitable pilot and reversing valves may be utilized, and so far as many features of my invention are concerned any other type of actuating, controlling and. reversing mechanism might be substituted for that herein described, for example a mechanically operated and controlled mechanism, of which there are many types,

Resuming the description of this particular controlling and reversing mechanism, and referring again to Figure 5, the piston rod 88 carries a spring stop device comprising a rod 88 pivotally mounted at one end in a block I88 secured to the piston rod. The rod 88 has fastened thereto in spaced relation a pair of blocks IN and I82 which have spring receiving recesses facing each other and holding springs I84 and I88. Between the blocks IM and I82 is a block I88 'which is engaged by the springs I84 and I88,

' thus offering resilient resistance to the movement of the block I88 along the rod 88. The block I88 is pivotally secured to a reversing lever I86 which is pivotally mounted on a stud I81 projecting from a bracket I88 secured to the side ling the ports through the pipe connections with wall of the housing I8. The lever I88 extends to the other side of the stud I81 and terminates in a reversing lug I88 protruding from a counter weighted portion I88a of the lever I88.. The pilot valve controlling mechanism is constructed to permit the movement of the pilot valve with a slight overrun in the valve operating lever I88 against spring tension, to assure the complete movement of the valve and protect it against possible damage by jamming. In some respects the pilot valve is a substitutefor the load and firing mechanism,arrow point and cam device, or the snap-over detent, well known in machine tools for controlling a mechanical reversing mechanism and also used to some extent to control amaln valve. Any one of such devices may be utilized to achieve a reversal of the rectilinear travel of the tools as distinguished from a mere stopping thereof.

machine of the Johnson patent although my invention readily lends itself to incorporation in this machine. Although in the description which is to follow, some parts may be identified as parts of the Johnson patented machine, the operationand control as well as the several features of the machine are part of my invention, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, I provide a reciprocating control rod II8 which at the upper end passes through and is guided by a bracket I I I extending from the upper gear casing portion of the auxiliary housing I8. Adjustably fastened to this'rod II8 are striking dogs 2 and H8, the striking portions of which are disks and arranged in the path of the reversing lug I88. Also adjustably mounted on the rod H8 and intermediate the dogs H2 and. H8 is a shaped-dog II4.

This dog I I4 when in the-position shOWn' in Fi ure 5 moves in the path of the lug I88 and will strike the lug I88 to reverse the head 88. However, when the red I I8 is given a slight tum either manually or 'by an automatic mechanism herein after described, the striking portion of the dog H4 is moved out of the path of the lug I88. Referring now to Figure 8, there is provided a hand lever I I8 fastened-to the lower end of the rod 1 I8 by means of which the rod II8 may be manually turned to swing the striking portion of the do I I4 out of the path of the lug I88. Referring now to Figures '1 and 8, fastened to the rod II8 are thrust collars I I1 which secure it so far as vertical movement is concerned to, a bracket II8 which is fastened to the side of the head 88. Thus it is that the rod I I8 moves upwardly and downwardly with the head 88. I provide a stop arm 8 fastened to and extending downwardly from the Figure 1, the operating portion of the intermediatedog I I4 is in the path of the lug I88.

The reciprocating movement of the head 88 is further controlled by a stop' valve I 22 (Figures 1 and 3) interposed in the main pressure line from tliepressure pump 8I which normally allows oil to be directed under pressure to the four-way valve 88 but which may be moved to by-pass the oil backto the suction side of the pump. When the valve I22 is so moved, the head 88 will come to a stop. This stop valve I22 is operated by an arm I28 connected to the valve stem I24 of the valve member of the stop valve I22. The arm I23 is mounted on a sleeve I28 which is journalled on a rod I28 extending between and journalled in brackets I21 and I 28, the former fastened to the column 2 and the latter fastened to an upper part of the housing 8, as shown in Figure 1. Fastened to the inside rod I28 is an arm I88 which, as shown in Figure 3, is connected by a link I3I with the arm 48. Thus rotation of the rod I28 controls the brake and clutch mechanism. The sleeve I25 extends downwardly as far as and i secured to the hub I82 1 an operating lever I88 while the rod- I28 extends below the hub I82 in the Johnson patent, the operating lever I88.

-may be connected to actuate the lever- I38 or it a movable pin I 54 in the bore I52.

may be disconnected therefrom for independent control of the sleeve I25 and thereby the stop valve I22. Usually the two levers I33 and I36 are connected together and operate as a. unit and thereby the controls more fully described hereinafter serve automatically to stop the movement of the head and also to stop the rotation of the spindle sockets 12 and 13, thereby stopping the honing tools from rotating.

Referring now to Figures 1, 3 and 11, I provide anautomatic control for the reciprocating movement to cause the honing tools hereinafter described to be raised out of the work piece by up- 1 ward movement of the head 63 when all of the bores of the work piece have been honed to the desired diameter. on the top of the gear casing of the auxiliary housing I I fasten a solenoid I40 which has a core I 4| connected by a link I42 with a lever I43 keyed to the rod H0. The rod I I0 is splined at the top portion thereof to permit it to move through the lever I43 and the bracket III provides a bottom and top thrust bearing for the lever I43, the bracket I I I being forked shaped, as shown in Figure 1. The other end of the lever I43 is connected by means of a spring I46 to-a sprin anchor I41 secured to the gear casing of the auxiliary housing I0. The spring endeavors at all times to turn the rod H0 in a counterclockwise direction in plan view. Such action would remove the dog I I4 from the path of the lug I09.

' Durin normal operation of the machine, however. the solenoid I 40 overcomes the force of the spring I46 and holds the rod IIO to maintain the dog I I4 in the path of the lug I09. 'Further movement beyond this point is prevented by the arm I I9 which engages the operating handle II6. But whenever the solenoid I40 is deenergized the spring acts, swinging the arm II6 away from the stop I I 9 and swingin the dog II4 out of the path of the lug I09. It is a feature of my invention that the failure of the electric circuits for any reason thus causes the head 63 to rise and removes the honing tools from the cylinder bores, thus preventing anydamage.

The dog II2 operates on the lug I09 as a reversing dog to reverse the direction of travel of the head 63. The dog II4 likewise operates on the lug I09 to reverse the direction of travel but as explained it can be moved out of the path of the lug I 09. The dog I I3 will also reverse the travel of the head 63, but I desire to stop the head 63 in its withdrawn position at the finish of a honing operation and, therefore, I provide an additional mechanism automatically to operate the stop valve I22 just before the dog II3 would engage the lug I09. Thereafter when the machine is started up again, the dog II3 first shifts the lug to reverse the reciprocating mechanism. That is to say, the head 63 may first rise by a slight distance, for example a fraction of an inch, before it descends to commence a honing operation.

Referring now to Figures 1, 3 and 8, I provide an arm I50 having a hub II fastened to the sleeve I25. The outer end of the arm I50 has a bore I52 receiving a spring I53 bearing against There is a slot I55 in the top of thearm I50 through which projects an operating rod I56 secured to the pi I 54. The operating rod I56 is provided with a knob I51 for convenient operation.

The bracket II8 has an inclined cam surface I60 which is in position to engage the pin I54 and when it does so, it will swing the arm I50 to the left, Figure 1, operating the valve I22 and stopping the head 63 by by-passing pressure fluid. Figure 1 shows the cam surface I60 engaging the pin I54 and the head 63 is about to stop, the arm I60 having been moved partially but not through the entire distance. This action preferably takes place in advance of the dog III striking the lug I09 so that the head is brought to a stop without quite reversing the pilot valve 93 and thereby the reverse valve 86. This precaution eliminates the possibility of the head being reversed and travelling downward to cause thehones to reenter the finished work piece. When the operator is ready to hone a new work piece, however, he may push the knob I51 rearwardly which will place the pin I54 behind the bracket II 8, allowing the lever I33 to be moved to reestablish the fluid pressure connections which will cause the head 63 to descend after a slight rise to cause the reversing action by pushing the lug I09 past the center point.

Referring now to Figure 2, the hones are a unit and are designated generally by the reference character I10. That is to say, the honing tools are completely removable from the machine and are self-contained tools. Each hone I10 has a spindle I1I having a tapered end portion fitting in a socket 12 or 13. The spindles or shanks III are connected to lower spindles I12 (made of brass) by means of flexible couplings I13 the construction of which may be as described in the Johnson patent, or universal joints may be substituted if desired. The provision of either one allows the honing tool to adjust itself in the bore of the cylinder block work piece, for it must be understood that previous machining operations on an automobile cylinder block do not bring the axes of the several bores in the same plane or located exactly a given distance apart within the matter of a thousandth of an inch or fractions thereof which are significant dimensions in a finishing operation of the nature performed by a machine of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 6, I have therein illustrated a honing tool which so far as the lower part thereof is concerned may be and preferably is constructed substantially in accordance with the Wacker patent aforesaid. The power or electric motor control hereinafter described, however, is my own invention. I do not deem it necessary to describe the honing tool in detail (apart from the new features) since reference may re di y be had to the Wacker patent and, furthermore, many and various types of honing tool instrumentalities may be substituted so far as my invention is concerned. Briefly, and referring to Figure 6, the Wacker patented hone includes an upper plate I15 which, however, I have somewhat enlarged, and a lower plate I16 which according to my invention has additional features hereinafter described, which plates I75 and I16 are connected by tie bars I11 as described in the Wacker patent. This forms a cage construction, guiding carriers I upon which are detachably mounted honing sticks I8I. There may be any number of carriers I80 and honing sticks I8I, for example four, as shown in the Wacker patent. Each carrier I80 has inclined surfaces I02 which are engaged by cones I83 mounted on a screw shaft I84 which extends through the upper plate I15 and is journalled in the lower plate I 16. I adopt an inclination between the cam surfaces I82 and the cones I83 which represents a much smaller angle than is shown in the Wacker patent for reasons which ture. I prefer magnets 295 made by pressing together powdered electrolytic iron and other metals to make a good ,magnet structure, with subsequent heat treatment, because in this man- 4 or withdrawn therefrom. The honing sticks I8I may be of'any suitable type, for example Q .bonded abrasive consisting of any of the usual abrasives, such as silicon carbide or alumina in its various forms, also diamonds, and the bond may be of any desired type. for example vitrifled ceramic bond, resinoid bond including natural and synthetic resins, also rubber. While vitrified ceramic bonded abrasive sticks are usually preferred, I find special advantages in using a metal bond, for example that described in patent to Van der Pyl No. 2,072,051. The reason is that the machine of the present-invention is adapted to remove a great deal more metal than has usually been removed in a honing operation and consequently a-honing stick which will withstand severe usage is preferred.

My invention includes an electric motor contained between the spindle I12 and the lower part of the honing tool which has just been described. This motor is automatically controlled by a gauge mechanism to be described so that it gradually expands the honing tool until such time as the gauge indicates the bore is honed to the desired diameter, whereupon the current is reversed and the honing tool collapses. Referring now toFig- .ure 6, the screw shaft I84 is formed with an enlarged portion I99 leaving a shoulder to make a thrust bearing resting upon the plate I15.

Above the enlarged portion I99 is a reduced screw threaded portion I9I.

An internally threaded hub I92 of an armature having four arms I93 is mounted upon the threaded portion I9I. 1nterposed between the hub I92 and the enlarged portion I99 is a commutator insulating disk I95 formed of any good insulator, such as hard rubber of molded resinoid. Suitably molded into or fastened to the commutator insulating portion I95 are, four commutator sectors I96 made of copper or brass or other suitable metal. These sectors I96 are engaged by brushes I91, there being a pair of such brushes. The brushes I91 project from thimble-like brush holders I98 in which are springs I99 urging the brushes I95 into engagement with the sectors I96.

Figure 10 shows the armature consisting of the hub I92 and arms I93, which arms are wound with insulated wire, the ends of the wires being connected to each other and to the several commutator sectors I96 in a manner well understood in the electrical arts, this being a direct current motor. I

The brush holders I93 extend through a cylindrical metal casing 299 which is integral with the lower spindle I12. The brush holders I98 may be surrounded by suitable insulating material in the form of sleeves 29I, and thereby insulated from the casing 299. Binding post terminals having nuts 292 thereon have insulated wires 293 connected thereto to lead current to the motor. The field of the electric motor comprises a pair of permanent magnets 295 which nera permanent magnet having many times the strength of magnets previously known can be obtaineda Finely divided electrolytic iron with the proper proportion of additional metal powders to make a good magnet steel is placed in a half annular mold and pressed with a strong pressure, thereafter heat treated and magnetized.

The screw threads may be out before the heat treating and magnetizing since the metal is soft at that time and this will not interfere with the magnetic qualities. Q

The foregoing motor drive for the cones I93 of the honing tool is characterized by extreme compactness and also reversibility merely by reversing the current in the armature sincethe field is constant. Referring now to Figures 2,. 6 and 9, the wires 293 are led around the coupling I13 and may be held from flying out by taping them to the spindles HI and I12. ,They connect to binding 'posts 2I9, 2II molded in a rubber or resinoid insulating disk 2 I2 having metallic collector rings 2I3, 2I4, also molded therein. The binding post 2I9 may be an integral part of the collector ring 2I4 and the binding post 2 may be an integral part of the collector ring 2I3, as shownin Figure 9. Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 9,

brushes 2 I5 and 2I6 respectively engage the rings 2I3 and 2. As shown in Figure 2; the brushes 2I5 and 2 I6 are fastened to insulators 2" which are fastened to the head 63. An electric cable 229 has eight insulated wires therein which are severally connected to the brushes 2I5 and H8, r

the cable 229 being supported from any convenient stationary part of the machine and being also attached to the movable head 63 and extending in a loop between these points, as shown in Figure l. Thereby electric current is introduced into the traversing and rotating honing tools I19 from a stationary source.

Referring now to Figure 6, I provide a gauge plug 225 for each cylinder bore to be honed. The table 4 and the adapter'1 have oversized openings 226 to receive the gauge plugs.225, yet allowing slight adjustment of the plugs 225 to compensate for irregularities in boring of the cylinder block 6. Each gauge plug 225 is in the form of a hollow piston and has a screw threaded stud 221 centrally located therein, projecting downwardly attaching the gauge plug to a cou-. pling 228 which may be the same as the coupling I13 and which type of coupling is fully described and illustrated in Figure 14 of the Johnson patent. The coupling 229 is connected at its lower I end to a rod 229 passing through a bearing boss are in the form of semi-cylindrical annuli the outer peripheries of which are screw threaded and which screw into internal threads in the casing 299. As indicated in Figure 19, the north poles are together and so also are the south poles, which forces the magnetic field across the arma- 239 in the table 4. Switches controlling the operation of the machine are located in a long rectangular opening 23I in the table 4 and extend and passes around the plug 225 when it is depressed, through'the oversized bores 228,.and thence through a passage 231 in the upper part of the table 4 into a collecting tray 238 formed in the table 4.

At every downward stroke of the several honing tools, bunter projections 243 on the bottoms of the plates I16 engage gauges 225 and force them downwardly, permitting the honing tools to descend to the proper depth to assure even honing of the work piece. At all times prior to the entry of a particular gauge 225 into a particular bore, one pair of switches controlled by said gauge are maintained closed and another pair of switches controlled by said gauge are maintained open. When, however, a gauge enters a particular bore, thus signifying the honing of that bore to a given required size, the switches which were maintained closed are opened and the switches which were opened are closed. One pair of switches cause an energization oi the motor in the honing tool which they control in a direction to expand the sticks IBI while the other pair of switches cause reverse action of the motor to contract the hone.

Referring now to Figures 6, '1 and 11, on the bottom of each rod 229 is an H shaped switch controller 245. Referring to Figures 6 and '1. the left-hand side piece 246 of the H member 245 has bosses 241 at its ends receiving headed studs 248 around which are springs 249. The heads of studs 248 engage switch arms 258 and 25I, which arms 258 and 25I normally engage contacts 252 and 253.

On the other side of the H member 245 is a side piece 254 which has bosses- 255 at the opposite ends thereof receiving headed studs 256 on which are coil springs 251. The heads of studs 256 are in position to engage switch arms 258 and 259 which when the rod 228 moves upwardly engage contacts 268 and 26I. Switch arms 258 are Journalled in insulating bosses 262 and 263 and springs 264 and 265 try to open the switches. The switch arms 258 and 259 are .iournalled in insulating bosses 266 and 261 and gravity may be relied upon to hold them open when not closed by the studs 256.

Referring now to Figure 11, I provide a source of direct current energy represented by the positive power line 218 and the negative power line 21I. I provide a manually controlled switch 212 to connect the power lines 218 and 2" to main circuit power lines 215 and 288. Thus, assuming the switch 212 is closed, the power line 288 is positive and the power line 215 is negative.

Line 288 is connected by conductors 28I to the several terminals 252 and also to the switch arms 258. Negative line 215 is connected by conductors 282 to the terminals 26I. Negative line 215 is connected by a conductor 283 to a rheostat 284 which is connected by line 285 to the solenoid I48. The other terminal of solenoid I48 is connected by a line 288 to a conductor 281 which has leads 288 connected to each of the terminals 253.

The brushes 2i5 are connected by conductors 298a to the terminals 268. The brushes 2i5 are connected by conductors 298?) to the switch arms 25I. In the cable 228 (Fig. 1) conductors 298a and 298b are merged into a single conductor 298 which becomes two separate conductors 298a and 2982) outside of the cable 228. Brushes 2I6 are connected by conductor 29Ia to the switch arms 258. Brushes 2I6 are connected by conductors 29Ib to the switch arms 259. Similarly, conductors 29Ia and 29Ib in the cable 228 are merged into a single conductor 29 I.

When a gauge 225 is down, that is to say before it enters the cylinder bore, switch arms 258 and HI are closed. This condition is shown for the first three units reading from left to right in Figure 11. Under such conditions, the positive power line 288 being connected to the terminal 252 by the line 28I, is connected by the switch arm 258 to the line 29in to the brush 2I8 which is, therefore, positive. The brush 2i5 at such times is connected by the line 2881? to the switch arm I which is In closed position and, therefore, contacts the terminal 253. This terminal 253 is connected by the line 288 to the line 281 to the line 286 to solenoid I48 and thence by way of line 285, rheostat 284 and line 283, to main conductor 215. The brush 2i5 is, therefore,

, negative. When the brush 2I6 is positive and the brush 2i5 is negative, current flows through the motor in the honing tool in such direction as to revolve the screw shaft I84 to raise the cones I83, thereby expanding the honing sticks I8I. It will be noted that under such conditions, the conductor 298a leads to an open circuit and the conductor 29Ib leads to an open circuit.

When a gauge plug 225 enters its cylinder bore, as indicated in the right-hand unit in Figure 11, switch arms 258 and 25I are opened and switch arms 258 and 259 are closed. Under such conditions positive power line 268 is connected by conductor 28I to switch arm 258, thence by conductor 298a to the brush 2i5 and the brush 2Il is, therefore, positive. Under such conditions the brush 2I6 is connected by line 29Ib, switch arm 258. conductor 282, to the power line 215 and the brush 2I6 is, therefore, negative. This runs the motor in the reverse direction to revolve the screw shaft I84 to lower the cones I83 and the garter springs I85 contract the honing sticks I8I. At such times the lines 2981) and 28Ia from the brushes 2i5 and 2I6 lead to open circuits.

When the current is directed to the motors to expand the hones or any of them, the current has to go through the solenoid I48. So long as even one gauge plug 225 is down, at least one motor is in what I may call the winding up or expanding condition and current is passing through the solenoid I48 because all of the lines 288 lead to the conductor 286 to the solenoid I48. The electric power factor of the solenoid and the spring I46 are so arranged that with current flowing through even one motor to the solenoid I48, the solenoid overbalances the spring I46. When all of the gauge plugs 225 have advanced into the work piece, current is definitely cut of! from the solenoid I48 and then the spring I46 acts to turn the shaft I I8 and thereby to turn the dog II4 out of line with the lug I89. Under such conditions the upward stroke of the head 63 is continued to carry the several honing tools out of the bores of the work piece, the head being stopped by the automatic mechanism already described which shifts the stop valve I22.

In the operation 01' the machine, after a particular gauge has entered a cylinder bore, the motor in the hone is actuated to retract the sticks I8I. However, until all of the gauges 225 have entered, the head 33 continues to reciprocate in the lower position. At each downward stroke, the hunters 243 push the gauges 225 out 01' the cylinder bores and this momentarily opens the switches 258 and 259 and closes the switches 258 and 25I. Thereby in the case of such hones as have completed the abradlng operation, the motors are energized momentarily to expand the hones. However, the time interval is too short for any substantial amount of expansion and dursized bores.

v a,e1e,eso

largest diameter bore is still slightly undersized ing 'the major part of the working stroke, the motor is energized to contract the hones. The rheostat 84 is provided so that the expansion will be at a slightly lower rate than the contraction, thereby insuring that the bones are always suiliciently collapsed after they have completed the abrading operation. 1

It willbe noted that the motors operate the hones through a screw and through wedge means. This gives the motors a great mechanical advantage. The motors turn very slowly after contact has been made between the sticks'ltl and the cylinder wall and, in fact. may be said to exert pressure. The power and windings aresuch that no winding will burn out even though the armature does not revolve.

In the operation of the machine, the operator first loads a cylinder block in position on the table 4 and this forces down all the gauge plugs 225. He then pushes 'rearwardly on the knob I51, drawing the pin I54 behind the cam surface iii]. A slight amount of lost motion between the hub IBI and the sleeve I25 will permit the pin I54 to be locked in retracted position behind the bracket II! but at all events the operator may coincidentally operate the knob I51 and the hand lever I33 to close the by-pass valve I22 which causes the fluid to flow first to send the head 83 upwardly for a fraction of an inch, completing the reversal of the valve 83 which reverses the reversing valve 88, sending the head 83 downwardly. The bones will. already have been collapsed by the automatic actuation. prior to starting up the machine and when they enter the cylinder bores, the operator closes the switch 212 to start the expansion of the hones. The operator opens the switch 212 at the time he changes work pieces and this action insuresthat the solenoid I40 is deenergized even after the gauges 225 are depressed; thus the spring I48 holds the dog 4 out of the path of the lug I09 to permit the downward movement of the, head 83 at the start of the honing operation. The honing operation to leave some material to be honed. Such a honing operation as herein provided may require the removal of more stock but the operation is entirely automatic aiter the machine has once been started and the elimination of different sized cylinder bores with as many as five difierent sizes of pistons being provided to fit them respectively. simplifies later assembly operations and permits the manufacturer to provide one size of pistons instead of five or even more sizes thereof. Pistons can be ground to very close limits with present machines.

Another feature of the present invention is that it may readily be applied to existing machines since the existing controls are utilized,

. more controls however being added without necessltating rebuilding of the machine. The expansion and contraction device is contained within the honing tool itself which is'always a removable part and thegauge units may be incorporated in a special table substituted for the work tables now in use. but if the current falls from any cause, the spring I48 acts to stop the machine.

It should be noted that the particular coupling I13 which is described in the Johnson patent is designed to maintain the axis of each honing tool parallel to the others and to a given plane while. permitting orbital movement of such axis in counterdistinction to a pair of universal Joints which do not hold the driven member in a fixed axial position nor hold the axis of the driven member parallel to a fixed line. It should benoted further that once my honing tool starts to collapse, it collapses completely, subject to slight momentary periods of expansion which are promptly eliminated by further collapsing.

Thus it is possible, with the present apparatus.

to eliminate the possibility ofcontact between any of the honing sticks I8I and the bore of a particular cylinder after the same has been honed to the required size.

then proceeds automatically, individual hones 1 collapsing when the bores are ground. When all of the bores are ground, on the next up stroke of the head 63 all the switch arms 250 and 2 are raised and this cuts oil? current from the solenoid I40 and the spring I48 acts to by pass the dog H4 so that the head rises where it is ultimately brought to a stop by the cam surface I60 engaging the pin I54, thus throwing the arm loo-re turn the sleeve I25, thereby opening the by-pass valve I22 and coincidentally (if desired) turning the shaft I26 to open the clutch 4| and apply the brake 42, thereby to stop rotation of the hones. I

It has been customary to take so much stock out of the cylinder walls of automotive cylinder blocks as the operator in his judgment estimated to be desirable, each honing tool being individually adjusted for a new honing operation. The operators usually have watched the bores and tightened the bones by a number of notches indicated by the previous operation. Cylinder bores have varied in diameter by a matter of a thousandth of an inch or more from the largest to the smallest and have been graded and in the automotive production line different sized pistons have been provided and fitted to, the different are honed to a given diameter. Of course, the

The machine of the present in-' vention is not only automatic but also it is designed to keep on honing 'until ,all the bores boring operations will be arranged so that the Referring now to Figure 12, there is therein shown a modification of the structure disclosed in Figure 6 which in some respects represents a preferred embodiment of the invention. At all events, the modification of Figure 12 illustrates the use of a pair of motor armatures to give double the power of the embodiment of Figure 6 and it will be observed that there is plenty of room for downward adjustment of the table 4, as shown in Figure l, and, therefore, a longer honing tool can readily be used with the machine of this invention. Themodification of Figure 12 further provides gearing between the electric motors and the screw shaft I84a. In this embodiment of Figure 12, the gearing involves the use of a pair of large-gears, one having one more tooth than the other one so that the increase in torque will be equal to the number of teeth in one of the large gears. In this manner a torque possibly as much as fifty times greater than the torque produced in the apparatus of Figure-6 can be achieved.

Referring specifically to Figure 12, I provide a outer casing 200a made of brass which is likewise the same as the casing 200, merely longer. In

The control is electric also the gears.

both embodiments of the invention, the casing 200 or 205a is made of brass so that no short circuit for the magnetic lines of force will be provided.

A central screw shaft |9la provides a mounting forthe armatures and is an integral part of a plate 300 which fits-in a bearing 30| in a casing 200a. Screw shaft IS! a is likewisejournalled in a bearing portion 302 which is simply a bore in the spindle l 12a. Mounted on the screw shaft IBM is the commutator block I95 with which are associated the other parts already described which need not be further dealt with at this point since the electrical arrangement of the modification of Figure 12 is or may be the same as that of Figure 6.

Fastened to the plate 300 is a stud 305. Mounted on the stud 305 are a pair of gears 308 and 301 formed as an integral piece. A supporting bracket 308 is fastened to the plate 300 and has a journal portion fitting between the gears 306 and 301 to support more rigidly the stud 305 and By reason of the construction so far described, the stud 305 is substantially a crank which revolves in a planetary path around the axis of the shaft IBM.

The gear 306 meshes with an internal gear 303 fastened to the casing 200a by means of screws 3l0. This forms in effect a track for the gear 306 to rotate the same diumally. The gear 801 meshes with an internal gear 3 formed in a cup member 3l2 which is an integral part of the shaft lB-la. If the number of teeth in the gears 306 and 301 be the same and if the number of teeth in the gears 309 and 3 be the same, gear 3 will not be driven at all since the unit consisting of gears 306 and 301 will simply roll around in the casing. But by making a difference of one tooth in the big gears, with or without a difference of one tooth in the small gears, a differential is achieved. I may select either the gear 309 or the gear 3 to have the greater number of teeth, this matter being substantially immaterial. A very slow rotation of the shaft l84a is the result and the torque on the shaft I 84!: is equal to the number of teeth in one of the large gears 309 or 3 divided by the difference in teeth (which may be considered to be one) times the torque of the motor less any friction in the parts.

The use of this mechanism achieves improved results because in the operation of my machine there is plenty of time for the motor to act and what is desired is a considerable amount of pressure which can be achieved using two motors or two armatures, the reduction gearing described and a slight angle to the surfaces which fit the cones I83. At the same time using the embodiment of Figure 1 I am enabled to get enough total motion out of the apparatus to use up practically all of the abrasive sticks I 8|.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1..In a machine tool hone, the combination with a head, a plurality of spindles carried by said head, honing tools on the outer ends of said spindles, means rectilineally to move said head including a driving device and controlling devices arranged to reciprocate the head through a limited range to hone a work piece and also to move said head beyond said range to a withdrawn position, and a transmission train to rotate said spindles, of individual gauging devices for gauging the several bores of a work piece being honed by said hones, individual means to collapse said honing tools responsive to indication'of completion of the honing operation by said individual gauges, and a control to initiate movement of said head to carry the honing tools away from said limited range, said control being responsive to the gauging devices and operating only when each of the total number of gauging devices have successively gauged and found the work piece bores to have come to desired sizes.

2. In a honing machine, a honing head, a plurality of spindle sockets arranged in parallel relation in said head, means to rotate said spindle sockets in unison, reciprocating mechanism rectilineally to move said head, controlling mechanism for the reciprocating mechanism to start, reverse and stop the rectilinear movement, individual independent size determining devices the same in number as the number of spindle sockets to measure, apart from counting the reciprocations, the sizes of the bores in a work piece being operated upon, and means controlling the said controlling mechanism for the reciprocating mechanism, and itself under the control of all the size determining devices, arranged and adapted to cause the head to move to and remain in an extreme position only upon the coming to size of the last bore to come to size of a work piece being operated upon by said honing machine.

' 3. In a honing machine, a honing head, a plurality of spindle sockets in said head, means to rotate the spindle sockets, means rectilineally to move said head, controlling means for the rectilinear moving means to reciprocate the head in a working position and to cause the withdrawal of the head to a stop position, honing tools carried by said sockets in parallel relation, individual means to expand and contract each honing tool, work piece sizing apparatus, controls to cause the contraction of each honing tool when the work piece bore on which it is working comes to a given size, and means to cause the head to withdraw the honing tools only when all of the work piece bores have reached the given size.

4. In a honing tool, a supporting structure, a

plurality of carriers in parallel and radial arrangement and mounted to expand and contract radially, honing sticks carried on said carriers, means to expand and contract said carriers, and an electric motor in the honing tool to actuate said last named means including a permanent field magnet and a commutator whereby re versal in direction of the current procures a reversal of the motor.

5. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of honing tools mounted in parallel relation, means individual to each tool to expand and contract the same, means individually controlled for each tool to cause the same to expand until it reaches a given expansion and then to contract, and means responsive to contraction of all of the honing tools for withdrawing all of them in unison.

6. In a honing tool, a wedge means to expand to operate the wedge contained in the tool plurality of hone carriers, the carriers, screw means means, an electric motor and revolvable as a whole with it to revolve the screw means, and reduction gearing interposed between the motor and the screw means to give added power 7. In a honing tool, a plurality of abrasive carriers, means mounting said carriers for radial expansion and contraction, means including a screw shaft to move said carriers, reduction gearing connected to the screw shaft, and an electric motor contained in the tool and revolvable as a whole with it driving the screw shaft.

8. In a honing machine, a work piece support,

a support for a plurality of spindles, mechanism to rotate said spindles. a plurality of honing tools I one carried by each spindle, a slideway for oneiof said supports, means to move the last-mentionedsupport on its slideway to procure a relative reciprocation between said supportshor the honing operation and includinga device to cause the movable support to travel beyond the range of reciprocation to an inactive position, a plurality of gaugin devices one for each honin tool to gauge a plurality of work piece bores independently, a plurality oi mechanisms each one controlled by a gauge and each one operative have been actuated by the several gauges.

9. In a grinding device for cylinder bores, a plurality of abrading tools, means ior driving said tools'simultaneously in rotatiorr'and reciprocation, a plurality of expandable and retractable of controlling devices ea abrading stones in each tool, means in each tool tor expanding said stones within said bore, means in each tool for retracting said stones, and means for actuating said contracting means after a pre determined expansion of said stones, means for moving said tools, from the bores, and means actuated after the stones of all of said tools have been retracted for vrendering'said moving means effective,

10. In a machine tool hone, the combination with a head, a plurality of spindles carried-by said head, honing tools on the outer ends of said spindles, means reetilineally to move said head including'a driving device and controlling devices arranged to reciprocate the head through a limited range to hone a work piece and also to move said head beyond said range to a withdrawn position, and a transmission train to rotate said spindles, of a plurality of means each independent oi the others in its mechanism and actuation for slowly expanding the several hones, a plurality independent of the others in its mechanism and actuation for reversing the action to cause contraction of said hones individually, and a coordinated controlling apparatus connected to said controlling device for reversing the action and operating upon the controlling devices to move said head beyond said range and operating to initiate said movement of'said head to beyond said range after and only after each of said plurality oi! controlling devices for reversing the action has operated.

GEORGE CROMIPTON, J R. 

